Over the past 30 years our universities have evolved into self-perpetuating, monolithic bureaucracies where the undergraduate student is looked at by professors as more of a nuisance to their research activities than as a valued customer. Although it may not be in their promotional pamphlets, it doesn’t take a freshman long to figure out that teaching has a tendency to take a back seat to research.

A February 26 episode of “60 Minutes” reported that “at the University of Arizona freshmen are taught by graduate students or part-timers 87% of the time. Most of the teaching assistants have little or no training as teachers. What’s worse, in the sciences, some can barely speak English.” Tenure at most universities is based on the number of research article pages published and tenured professors are evaluated by the number of research proposals submitted to the VP of Research. “The only thing you don’t have to do is teach really well.” Parents don’t save for 18 years to have their kids put up with this.

This problem got started because not enough people look at the system through the eyes of the undergraduate student. The Regents are concerned with the cost to the state; the faculty are concerned with their tenure and salary promotion; parents are concerned with how to pay for it; and politicians don’t know where to start. A student wants to know, “What do I have to learn to be marketable in today’s world and how do I keep my education affordable?” Earning university credit should not cost what it does.

It amazes me given the technological advances at our fingertips we still find at our universities the ancient tradition of a professor standing in front of a class of 300 students reiterating to them what’s in the text while they busily transcribe everything from the lecture to their notebooks. Self-motivated students shouldn’t have to sit through a class like that. The question university officials should be asking is, “How much of what a graduate should know to be marketable can be self-taught outside the classroom through either the Internet, telecourses or well-written textbooks?” At the same time, they should set tuition according to how much a student uses a professor.

Despite their glacial pace, universities will have to become more user-friendly to keep up with private colleges that have already made changes in response to student demand.

Ben Furleigh

Clear Lake resident

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